Conference Session

Robots in Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Ahlgren, Trinity College; Igor Verner, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

. The team shares knowledge as it designs,builds, and tests the robot and as the team participates in the robot competition. Collectivecompetence acquired by the team in the project is demonstrated through the robot’s performanceat the competition. Collective efficacy reflects the shared beliefs of the students in their team’scapabilities to mobilize the motivation, cognitive resources, and practical activities needed tocope with challenging robotics assignments.The concept of collective efficacy was developed in studies of group performance in workorganizations4,5 as generalization of the concept of self-efficacy that reflects perceived (i.e. basedon real experience) beliefs of the individual in his/her own capabilities to perform the given

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dianne Raubenheimer, North Carolina State University; Jeff Joines, North Carolina State University; Amy Craig, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

computerprogramming course. The skills learned in such freshman level courses are being iterated andexpanded on in subsequent courses in these curricula in order to create a ‘computational thinkingthread’. One unforeseen consequence of the computer based modeling course was an increase inthe student’s problem solving ability. This study explores the role that computing has onstudent’s problem solving abilities and tries to quantify its impact. Students in several freshmanand senior level engineering courses across different disciplines were asked to solve a commonproblem solving task as well as reflect on the process they used to solve the problem. Thestudent’s solutions were scored using a protocol based on Wolcott’s ‘Steps for better thinkingrubric’ The

Conference Session

Programming for Engineering Students II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Birmingham, Grove City College; Vincent DiStasi, Grove City College; Gary Welton, Grove City College

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

(N = 2493).This survey employed the Soloman-Felder Index of Learning Styles (ILS), on which scores arecollected for four types of learning preferences: ≠ active versus reflective ≠ sensing versus intuitive ≠ visual versus verbal and ≠ sequential versus globalThese learning styles are measured on a scale from -11 (suggesting a preference for the firstnamed method) to +11 (suggesting a preference for the second term). A total of 1400 studentscompleted this questionnaire, for a response rate of 56%. Page 14.841.4The second survey, conducted in November, was also sent to the entire student body. Most ofthis survey assessed the extent

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nabil Lehlou, University of Arkansas; Nebil Buyurgan, University of Arkansas; Justin Chimka, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

. Page 14.209.7 Table 3: Industrial Statistics students learning styles Reflective Intuitive Verbal Global 11 0 0 0 0 11 9 0 0 0 0 9 7 1 1 0 2 7 5 2 0 2 0 5 3 2 3 0 0 3 1 3 1 0 1 1 -1 2 0 1 4 -1 -3

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sam Shearman, National Instruments

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

focus away from the concept at hand.Design for ExplorationAn approach to UI design that encourages exploration involves working to tailor the UI to suit aspecific sequence of activities. To do so, you can write out a step-by-step script that describeswhat the user does, how the software responds, what insight is gained, and other details. Such ascript can provide an organizational framework that helps to focus your efforts.Figure 3 shows an interactive concept demonstration that examines sampling theory and aliasing.Its UI reflects a number of design decisions based on a sample script shown in Table 1. As youmight expect, the parameters and displays mentioned in the steps have corresponding userinterface elements. Input controls on the left

Conference Session

Programming for Engineering Students I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Melinda Hess, University of South Florida; Autar Kaw, University of South Florida; Corina Owens, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

conceptual and practical issues to consider ishighly valuable when one is embarking on the design and implementation of an onlinecourse.The purpose of this study was not only to gather data from faculty and students regardingtheir perceived usefulness of these materials in a Numerical Methods course, but also toprovide methods and examples of instruments used to evaluate and assess the utility ofthe tools and information provided through the web-based resources and modules.Although the literature base for evaluating online courses is expanding as a reflection ofthe ongoing expansion of the implementation of online instruction, much of informationavailable addresses a specific issue, design characteristics, or target population.Currently the

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Trent McDonald, West Inc.; David Mukai, University of Wyoming

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

. Page 14.912.3ApplicationsIn this section, we expand discussion of the two applications mentioned above,confidence interval construction and hypothesis testing, and give some examples.Confidence IntervalsConfidence intervals of any statistic can be computed by generating a largenumber of pseudo samples by bootstrapping. The statistic in question should becomputed on all the pseudo samples, plus the original sample. A confidenceinterval is then the appropriate percentiles of the list of computed statistics. Forexample, to construct a 95% interval for the mean of a population, we generate999 pseudo samples by bootstrapping. Including the original sample, we have1000 means, the variance of which should reflect the variance of the originalmean

Conference Session

Software and Hardware for Educators III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Bannatyne, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Dan Baldwin, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Kevin Marshall, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

students.Additionally, there was an effort to reduce the cost of required software, purchased by thestudents for their coursework. It was discovered that depending on the sequence of offeredcourses, some software needs could be kept to a minimum, thereby creating an added financialbenefit. Therefore the first two years of curriculum were aligned, where possible, to coincidewith a cost effective software bundle. For incoming freshmen, this management of coursestructure, software concerns and library benefits assisted in considerable financial savings.ProgressPositiveIn the current and initial year of implementation, the laptop program has fostered quite favorableresults. Student morale, reflected in course evaluations where laptop instruction occurred

Conference Session

Software and Hardware for Educators III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carole Goodson, University of Houston; Susan Miertschin, University of Houston; Barbara Stewart, University of Houston; Marcella Norwood, University of Houston; Luces Faulkenberry

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

reflecting key course concepts was utilized togather data about how well students learned the key course concepts. The test items weredeveloped at a departmental level by faculty teaching the course and were reviewed by an expertpanel to verify their validity as a measure of student learning. Furthermore, faculty sought toensure that the items (i) represented seminal course concepts and (ii) were at an appropriate levelof difficulty for assessment of junior-level attainment of conceptsThe items were administered at the end of the semester, as a component of the last course examin all sections of each course, regardless of format. Thus, all enrolled students were required toanswer the items, and student performance on the items was incorporated into

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lok PASUPULETI, Northern Illinois University; Omar Ghrayeb, Northern Illinois University; Hubert Ley, Argonne National Laboratory; Clifford Mirman, Northern Illinois University; Young Park, Argonne National Laboratory

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

keep up with rapid changing requirements.TRANSIMS generates ‘normal day’ model which is valid only in statistical sense. To be used asan operation planning tool, it is necessary to adjust the traffic model in real-time to reflect theactual traffic situations based on roadside traffic monitoring sensors and other online data. SinceTRANSIMS model involves extensive iteration process and complex network, modelmodification requires long computing time.The Graduate students of NIU under the guidance of ANL Researchers are working to blend theexternal real time data into the TRANSIMS software to predict accurate traffic conditions. Aftermaking an analysis of the TRANSIMS model it was established that modifying the link delaytable is the best way to

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Korpela, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Robert McTasney, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

integrated this design into alaboratory exercise in our Advanced Computer Architecture course. We further demonstrate thatthe practical implementation of this exercise fully compliments and supports the theoreticalconcepts covered in our course. As the computer industry has shifted towards multicore designs,it becomes imperative to introduce these systems early in an electrical engineering education.While the CAD tools have become easier to use, these types of projects require a significantamount of knowledge in VHDL design, C programming, FPGAs, and Integrated DevelopmentEnvironments. We recommend that only senior-level undergraduate students and above engagein multiprocessor design.The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect

Conference Session

Software and Hardware for Educators I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Fuller, Auburn University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University; P.K. Raju, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of theauthors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.We thank Mr. K.P. Raghavan, Executive Vice President (Corporate Center), ECC Division, Mr.P. Rengarajan, Senior-Manager, System, and Mr. G.D. Sharma, Vice President, HumanResources, L&T for sponsoring and approving this case study. We also thank Dr.Ramachandraiah Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology,Madras, for coordinating the local arrangements.References 1. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., www.abet.org/criteria.html, 2009. 2. Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century, National

Conference Session

Software and Hardware for Educators III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Silas Bernardoni, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Mauricio Rodríguez Alcalá, Skidmore College; Maria Rodriguez Alcala, Paraguay Educa

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

training program in preparation for the accelerated growth that is scheduled for theproject.Evaluating Student Learning University students have played an integral part in the Wisconsin OLPC project and alesser but notable presence in the Paraguay deployment. The university students involved in theproject covers a range of majors, focusing mostly on engineering and computer science. Thistrend is seen as a reflection of the project’s nature as well as the choice of academic departments Page 14.1342.8that were chosen to house the XO projects in their respective universities. The Wisconsin OLPCproject is based out of the UW-Madison Engineering

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Swanbom, Louisiana Tech University; Davis Harbour, Louisiana Tech University; Hisham Hegab, Louisiana Tech University; Danny Eddy, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

. Anyopinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those ofthe authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.If you would like more information, contact:Michael K. Swanbom, Ph.D.P.O. Box 10348Ruston, LA 71272-0046mswanbom@latech.eduOffice (318) 257-3908FAX (318) 257-4630References1. Splitt, F.G., “Systemic Engineering Education Reform: A Grand Challenge.” The Bent of Tau Beta Pi, Spring 2003.2. Sheppard, S. and Jenison, R., “Examples of Freshman Design Education.” International Journal of Engineering Education, 13 (4), 1997, 248-261. Page 14.56.163

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brianno Coller, Northern Illinois University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

controllersomewhere. This challenge required students to think deeper and more creatively. They had todevise their own control architecture and test it conceptually and implement it. Students had todo a lot of tinkering, in a good constructive way. As will be described in a forthcoming article,learning measures related to this exercise were the ones in which we observed mostimprovement.Reflections “Learning is a cycle of probing the world (doing something); reflecting in and on this action and, on this basis, forming a hypothesis; reprobing the world to test this hypothesis; and then accepting or rethinking the hypothesis.”This is one of several fundamental learning principles, proffered by Gee5, for which the mediumof video games may be particularly

Conference Session

Robots in Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexander Mentis, United States Military Academy; Charles Reynolds, United States Military Academy; Donald Abbott-McCune, United States Military Academy; Benjamin Ring, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

, no. 2, pp. 5-9, April 2008.2. Zachary Dodds, “AI Assignments in a CS1 Course: Reflections and Evaluation,” Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 262-271, June 2008.3. Barry Fagin, “Using Ada-based Robotics to Teach Computer Science,” in ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, vol. 32, New York, 2000, pp. 148-151.4. Barry Fagin and Laurence Merkle, “Measuring the Effectiveness of Robots in Teaching Computer Science,” in ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, vol. 35, New York, 2003, pp. 307-311.5. Robert W. Hasker, “An Introductory Programming Environment for LEGO MindStorms Robots,” in Midwest Instruction and Computing Symposium, 2005

Conference Session

Computer Education Innovations

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Claudia E. Vergara, Michigan State University; Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University; Cindee Dresen, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; Tammy Coxen, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; Taryn MacFarlane, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; Kysha Frazier, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Louise Paquette, Lansing Community College; Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Jeannine LaPrad, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; Thomas Wolff, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

Labor by the National Center for O*NET Development.[5] www.transana.org[6] Committee on the Engineer of 2020, Educating the engineer of 2020: Adapting engineering education to the new century. National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 2005.[7] Educating Engineers: Designing for the future of the field. The Carneige Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 2008.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under award 0722221. Anyopinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and donot necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF